Trump cabinet officials tour Louisiana LNG Facility, announce major expansion
PLAQUEMINES PARISH, La. (WVUE) - Two members of President Donald Trump’s cabinet visited Plaquemines Parish on Thursday (March 6) to tour the largest construction project currently underway in North America and to announce a major expansion of the facility.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Energy Secretary Chris Wright, joined by Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, toured Venture Global’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant south of Myrtle Grove.
The event had the energy of a rock concert, with hundreds of workers cheering on the officials.
“We’re gonna drill, baby, drill and get critical minerals going,” Burgum declared.
The energy secretary echoed that sentiment, touting America’s progress in global energy markets.
“In the next several years, Louisiana should export more LNG than any nation on Earth,” Wright said.
As federal officials toured the site, they announced that the $23 billion facility would be enhanced with an $18 billion Phase 3 expansion, increasing its footprint and capacity.
The plant, now partially operational, is designed to withstand a Category 4 hurricane and is protected by a 30-foot flood wall. Venture Global officials say construction is moving at a record pace, thanks in part to a modular process where critical components, called trains, are built in Italy, shipped to Louisiana, and assembled on-site. The first phase of the project consists of 36 of these trains.
“We continue to help our allies, create new jobs, lower gas prices, and build, baby, build,” said Venture Global CEO Mike Sabel.
The expansion comes at a time when President Joe Biden has put a freeze on offshore wind energy projects—an industry some Louisiana oil and gas companies had hoped to enter.
“Certainly, President Trump put a pause on offshore wind. It’s three times more expensive than onshore wind,” Burgum said.
“I think those in the oil and gas industry were looking forward to jumping into wind because they had nowhere else to go,” Landry added.
The first phase of the plant is expected to be completed by the third quarter of next year, with work on the second phase set to begin soon.
Wright noted that just 15 years ago, the United States was the world’s largest importer of natural gas. Now, with facilities like Venture Global, the U.S. has become the largest net exporter, with Louisiana playing a leading role in that transformation.
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